Heavy metal pollution and health risk in vegetables and soils in a industrial and mining area in Hunan Province

In order to assess the effect of mining and smelting on vegetable soils and vegetables around a zinc-lead mining area in central Hunan Province,80 samples of 15 types of vegetables were collected from 18 vegetable fields around the mining area.The concentrations of Pb,Cd,Cu,and Zn were analyzed and heavy metal pollution of soils and vegetables were evaluated based on the pollution index method and health risk assessment model.The results showed that the soils were polluted by heavy metals seriously,especially by Cd.The vegetables were polluted by Cd,Pb and Zn to various degrees.According to the comprehensive pollution index,vegetables were polluted moderately or seriously.Above all,the Three-colored amaranth was polluted most severely.In addition,the vegetable's enrichment capacity for the different metal elements was i.e.Cd Zn Cu Pb.Heavy metal exposure on human risk assessment indicated that hazard quotient(HQ) of Cd and Pb for an adult through consumption of vegetables was higher than 1,which suggested that consumption of contaminated vegetables has high potential health risk for an adult.If the farmers' vegetable garden can't be restructured or replant,they are recommended to plant root vegetables.